Cutting mat life time

[nannyt]

Do cutting mats wear out?

I have a large one 34"X68" that I bought when I got my Koala furniture.

I am now having trouble keeping my rotary cutting blade usable for any length of time, and the fabrick seems to 'dig in' when I cut.

Then I had a customer ask me the same question. So I know you all will know the answer.

[Quilting Heidi]

Mats can wearout, especially if you are cutting the same sizes all the time and cutting over and over the same lines. Your blade could also be too sharp for the mat. I have one of the clear plastic ones for my large cutting table and I can not use the blades I get from Accu guide cutters (name?). I have to use one of the blades that I get at JoAnns or it digs into my mat.

Heidi

[Bonnie]

Its a big joke when they call our GREEN cutting mats "SELF HEALING"....yes the cuts do close, but like Heidi stated if you are cutting over and over in the same place, it does wear a hole in the mat....a mat should last you many years, but if you are doing tons of quilts or are like most of us we stand in the same place while we cut, not realizing that if we moved down the mat a bit it wouldn\'t wear the same spot with each cut.

Even the white mats that are a bit harder plastic, also wear with time and same place cutting as well.

[TishMarshall]

Very interesting. I didn\'t know some blades were sharper than others. I have found that the lower thread count fabric seems to \'stick\' into the mat at times.....

Tish

[Bonnie]

Originally posted by TishMarshall

I have found that the lower thread count fabric seems to \'stick\' into the mat at times.....

Tish that is because the blades are pushing the threads into the cut, and as the cut closes behind the blade the frayed edges stick in the hole...this really happens with all fabrics regardsless of which thread count...I\'ve had Hoffman Batiks stick as well. But some show more than others do...maybe that\'s because of the colors that they stand out better.

[mrsbishwit]

I usually have to replace my cutting mats (I use the 24"x36" green ones) every year because I do alot of cutting. And the only time I have problems with my fabrics/threads getting stuck in the mat is when my blade is starting to dull and it requires more pressure to cut the fabric.

[BethDurand]

Before tossing the whole mat, try turning it over to the non-marked side, and use that for a while, or even cut it down to a smaller side and continue to use the pieces that aren\'t all cut up from use.

Beth

[jeanros]

I have had a white colored matt...Dirtz, 30X36, for about 15 yrs and it is just staring to wear, so I just bought a new one today 36x60 for half price. I also have a couple green ones but I think I like the white ones better.

Jean

Mille

[DB]

My matts last a couple of years, but I have several and don\'t always use the same one. I have one that is pink on one side and yellow on the other and that seems like a sturdier matt than my green one even though they are made by the same manufacturer. Before I throw one away, I\'ll do the same as Beth and flip it over and use the other side. I seldom use the printed markings. There\'s a limit to how "self healing" these matts are. DB

[Sandra Darlington]

When my first mat seemed to wear out, I saved it to use when I cut fleece and Minkee, and use my newer matt for the cottons only. I also use both sides.

I also know people who have cut their old mats down and carry the better piece to quilt guild sewing events, etc. instead of dragging a large mat. And...the "bad" piece was covered with fabric and used to stabilize the bottom of Lazy Girl bags, instead of purchasing the acrylic bottoms for the bags.

I\'ll bet we get lots of responses of ways to recycle old mats (at least I think it would be interesting to hear the ideas).

Sandy

[pfrost]

Those older mats are good to use when cutting denim. Denim is so heavy that a lot of force has to be used with the rotary cutter (even a sharp one!) and one tends to slice crevices into the mat. I save the older mats for use with the heavier fabrics, & keep the nicer, newer mats to be used with the cotton quilting fabrics!

Pat

AZ:cool:

Mille

[QUILTERCAC]

I work in an LQS and the owner switched to the Clover brand mat. It is a lighter green. As you know, the quilt store is extremely hard on mats. With these, they have lasted 6 months longer and we also noticed that our blades stay sharper longer. Not sure why, but hey, as expensive as blades are, who cares!!

Cathy

[gable428]

I was at Pacific International one year and a vendor there had these really heavy duty cutting mats that he says will last forever. I explained I had the green self-healing kind and he said the mats are not "self-healing" because are not "alive." Interesting.

[ffq-lar]

I have a tiny mat that I used to death doing paper piecing. It is now in the car and is used to scrape snow and ice off the windshield. We have wet snow (on occasion!) here and it works great!

[BethDurand]

Hey Linda,

Does it work to scrape ice off? I\'ve got a regular ice scraper that was designed for a car, but it\'s pretty much useless. Maybe I\'ve had it too long? Should I try a cutting mat for those frosty NW mornings?

thanks, and back to work now. (real work, not quilting)

Beth

[Ferret]

I found the white mats wore out in a few months, it didn\'t even make a year. The mid priced self healing green ones last 2-3 years if I remember to rotate them every so often. The shop where I help out tends to get through a mat in less than a year, as they have to keep cutting in similar areas. They tried the heavy duty ones and found they were harder on the blades. Overall the mats were cheaper than the blades so the mid price self healers won out.

Ferret

[AnnHenry]

Wow! Throwing away a green mat every year blows my mind! I have made 94 (mostly queen-sized) quilts since 1989, and I am still using my first green Olfa mat. I have never turned it.

[Bonnie]

In 1989 the mats were better made than they are today...I also still have one of the smaller ones from about then. The ones that you get today are not as well made and I have to agree if you get one year out of one you have not only done good you did great. With the ones of today, if you press hard enough like some of us do you actually can go through the mat and slice to the bottom. So I would say either the mats aren\'t as well made or the blades are sharper....:P

[Quilting Heidi]

I think the mats by Quilt Pro are the best and they do last a long time. I\'ve had mine for about 5 years and it is still going strong. I just wish they came bigger. They are more pricey though.

Heidi

[landgtino]

Hi I started to write the date I bought a new mat on the reverse side, just to see how often I replaced the mat. Turns out its every 6 months. This being said, Iam cutting alot, making at least 1-2 lap size quilts per month.

[Judi]

I like hearing the ideas of using the old mats - bottom of hand bags? Good

idea! Why buy something else!!

I have my 24 x 36 mat that I use the most often, have had it for a couple

of years and it is in great shape. I have an older smaller one, that was on

the table when somebody set a hot bowl of soup on it, now it is warped

and will not lay flat. I use this one to slid along the back of my machine on

the acrylic and trim huge quilts down.

I do have a huge 4\' by 8\' white mat rolled up in the corner.... but I would

need to have the table top all cleared off in order to get that out! My

table is actually searving as an island in the Kitchen right now too.... so I

really do NOT want something hot set on that one and ruining it too...

Live and learn!!

[chickenscratch]

Okay, here is the king of old cutting mat stories. Last year, or year before, when we had that big ice storm my boys took my 36x 36 white cutting mat, flipped it slick side down, and used it to slide down our ice covered driveway. They said it went better than any sled they had ever had. It sure looked like they were flying to me. I was too chicken to try it. I think I have pictures somewhere. It was so funny.